Ni hao! TariaNalu here! So, this chapter is when things kinda start lurking into crossover territory. Just a heads up!
Anyways, I realize it's been over a week since I've posted anything. Yikes! To keep this story from going stale, I've decided to split the party chapter into two parts, and release the first part here. The second should be coming some time soon, so just hang in there, guys! And thank you all for being so supportive. You guys keep me motivated to write.
As always, don't forget to leave a review! As I said before, your feedback means a lot to me.
Later that night, a party was held at the Great Hall. The air was filled with music, laughter, and the smell of wonderful food.
Now, I've never really been one for parties. This is mostly due to the fact that I spent most of my childhood in a locked room, never interacting with people. In fact, looking back, I'm fairly sure that my coronation party was the very first party I had ever attended. I remember feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sights and sounds. After spending thirteen years in a nearly empty castle, the loud music and boisterous laughter (not to mention the sheer amount of people) was quite a shock to me. Nonetheless, I was in a fairly good mood; the worst part was over. The rest of the day would be downhill from here.
As soon as the music stopped, the band played a fanfare as Kai made his way to the front. He cleared his throat and announced, "Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" Ah, that was my cue. I strode into the room, a contented smile on my face, as the guests bowed respectfully. Standing under the royal canopy, I took in the festive scene around me. So, I thought for a brief moment, this must be what it's like to be respected...
"Princess Anna of Arendelle!" Kai continued, holding his arm up towards the west entrance. Immediately, my sister stumbled into the room, waving excitedly at the crowd. Kai ushered her to a position under the royal canopy.
"Oh, here?" she whispered, though I could very clearly hear her, "...'cause I'm not sure I'm supposed to-" Kai nearly lifted her off the ground and set her down next to me. "...Oh, okay," she mumbled, keeping a formal distance away from me. The guests cheered as the festivities continued.
Anna and I stood under the canopy, watching the party. Though the guests were certainly having a good time, an awkward silence loomed over me and my sister. Thirteen years of separation had definitely taken their toll on our relationship. I figured if there was any time to begin reconciling with her, it would definitely be now. But what could I possibly say to her? Anything I say would only make me seem awkward. Just say hello, I told myself, it'll be a good start.
I glanced at my sister. Her hands were stiffly clasped in front of her, and her gaze was pointed downward. She was clearly as uncomfortable as I was, if not more. Finally, I mustered up my courage. "Hi," I said rather coyly.
Anna was visibly taken aback. For a split second, I thought she was going to run out on me. Instead, she responded with an equally awkward "Hi...hi me?" I nodded, amused. Even after thirteen years, my sister was still the innocent little girl that I had come to know and love. "Oh, um...hi," she replied with a smile. Then she went back to fidgeting uncomfortably, evidently unused to talking to me.
Come on, I thought, I'm losing her... I quickly racked my brain for something to say.
"You look beautiful," I remarked, deciding to stick to the small talk.
Anna perked up, her blue eyes suddenly full of optimism. "Oh, thank you," she responded, the awkward tension slowly lifting, "you look beautifuller. I mean, not fuller. You don't look fuller, but more-more beautiful." I giggled softly; for all her formality, my sister always had a rather clumsy aura about her. But I always found that part of her so endearing.
"Thank you," I said, smiling. Well, I thought, this is a good start. If I can just work my way up...
"So," I continued, observing the festivities, "this is what a party looks like." The guests were dancing, eating, and talking cheerfully. For a second, I secretly longed to have attended more of these growing up.
"It's warmer than I thought," Anna commented, having never attended a party herself.
"And what is that amazing smell?" I asked. We both sniffed the air in unison, eagerly taking in the unmistakable aroma of our favorite food. It reminded me of lazy Saturday afternoons, when Kai and Gerda would bring us candies after returning from the marketplace.
"Chocolate!" we both said as we faced each other, laughing. I continued watching the party, feeling my heart flutter. Was I really doing it? Was I really connecting with my sister? It looked like the day would be ending on a happy note after all.
"Your Majesty," Kai came in, introducing a rather short man, "the Duke of Weaseltown."
"Weselton!" the Duke corrected him, his thin frame immediately tensing up. Then, after regaining his composure, "The Duke of Weselton, your Majesty."
Weselton, I thought, trying to remember those political lessons Mama had taught me all those years ago, Weselton, Weselton...that's right! Weselton is one of Arendelle's closest allies. We've had a long-standing relationship for many years.
He walked up to me and Anna as Kai walked away, scowling. The Duke continued, "As your closest partner in trade, it seems only fitting that I offer you your first dance as queen."
Immediately, I stiffened. Dance? No, I couldn't dance. If anyone were to touch my ice-cold skin, my secret would be in terrible danger of being revealed. I had to make up some excuse not to dance with the guy...
My thoughts were interrupted when the Duke, without warning, pulled off a rapid series of erratic movements that only he could call "dancing." He ended with a low bow and an outstretched hand. As he bowed his head, his toupee peeled off his head, nearly falling off! Anna and I looked at each other, giggling, as the toupee hung off the Duke's head like a curtain. Then I cleared my throat and smiled politely.
"Thank you," I replied as the Duke stood upright, fixing his toupee with the motion, "only I don't dance."
"Oh," the Duke muttered, scowling. Did I offend him?
"But my sister does," I continued, gesturing towards Anna. My sister gave a hearty laugh for half a second before looking at me as if I had just stabbed her in the back.
"Wait, what?" she asked as the Duke slid up to her.
"Well," the old man said, joining his arm with hers, "lucky you!"
"Oh, I don't think-" was all Anna could say before the Duke ran into the crowd, dragging her behind him. "If you swoon, let me know, I'll catch you!" I heard him explain as Anna reached out to me.
"Sorry," I whispered as I waved to her, giggling.
It went without saying that the Duke was a terrible dancer. I watched from underneath the canopy as he tried to showcase more of his "dance moves" to a very embarrassed Anna. Out of politeness, I had to stifle my laughter as my sister tried her best to dance normally, which was pretty hard to do since the Duke was constantly stepping on her toes. On multiple occasions, his toupee came close to falling off as he bobbed his head back and forth, like a chicken. He also put his face uncomfortably close to my sister's, trying to strike up a conversation, though I couldn't quite hear what he was saying. Finally, I burst into laughter as the Duke started impersonating various animals while circling around my sister, who by this time had turned fifty shades of red. I kept laughing as he pulled my sister into a dip, which nearly brought her to the floor since she was a good foot taller than he was. As she bent backwards, she made eye contact with me. I laughed as she shot me a wry grin, before the Duke pulled her back up and jumped around, acting like some sort of monkey-bird hybrid. For a second, I almost felt bad for Anna. Almost.
When the song finished, Anna limped back to the canopy, panting as she fixed her dress. Meanwhile, I couldn't stop laughing.
"Well," I remarked through a fit of giggles, "he was sprightly!"
Anna adjusted her shoe, which the Duke had stepped on multiple times. "Especially for a man in heels!" she replied. I laughed at her comment. I couldn't believe it! Even after thirteen years of shutting her out, never speaking to her, and outright ignoring her, she was still talking to me as if I were her best friend. It was almost as if the past thirteen years had never happened.
"Are you okay?" I asked, my laughter slowly subsiding.
Anna looked at me with an expression of innocent joy. The same kind of expression I had seen in her eyes multiple times as a little kid. "Yeah," she replied, clearly having more fun than she had in years, "I've never been better. This is so nice!" Then her voice took on a more intimate tone as she continued, "I wish it could be like this all the time."
I knew exactly what she meant. "Me too," I responded as I gazed deep into my sister's blue eyes, practically feeling the warmth radiating from her body. At that moment, it felt like we had never been separated; like we grew up together, playing, laughing, and having fun like ordinary children. As I shared this moment with Anna, I noticed something in her hair. When I looked closer, I was abruptly reminded of why we had grown apart in the first place.
It was the white streak in her hair, the one from thirteen years ago. The one that had formed when I hit her with my powers. It had never gone away, and though it was mostly hidden in her elegant updo, I could still make out the small stripes of white on her strawberry-red hair.
Immediately, I was snapped back to reality. Of course it couldn't be like this all the time. I would only end up hurting her again. In fact, I thought, why was I even trying to repair our relationship? I knew that after today, I would have to go back into hiding, shutting her out like I had been for the past thirteen years. I was only setting her - and myself - up for heartbreak.
"But it can't," I found myself saying to my sister, as I turned away and closed my eyes. I didn't want to see the hurt on her face.
"Well, why not?" she asked, her voice still upbeat. She approached me with open arms. "I mean, we-"
"It just can't," I interrupted her in a tone a little more harshly than I had intended, turning my back to her.
Immediately, I regretted it. Why did I say that? Why did I have to act so cold towards her? I finally had a chance (probably the only one I'll ever get) to bond with my sister, and I completely ruined it. I fought the tears that started building in my eyes, as well as the magic that started rising in my chest. I was so close. So close to finally repairing the rift that had formed between us. But it couldn't happen. An emotionally charged silence hung over me and Anna.
"Excuse me for a minute," she said to me, regaining the uncomfortable formality in her voice. Even then, I could hear the pain in her words. I watched, with a heavy heart, as my sister left the canopy and disappeared into the crowd, leaving me by myself. Even though the room was filled with a crowd of people, I had never felt as alone as I did at that moment.
Even after Anna was out of sight, I stayed under the canopy, immersed in a sea of emotions. As I stood by myself, keeping my head bowed, I felt my old anxieties wash over me. Why did this keep happening to me? Whenever I tried to make amends to my relationship with Anna, I only ended up pushing her further away. The poor girl always had her hopes up, and I dashed them every single time. What's more, I hurt her at the worst possible time. Tonight was the only chance she had to interact with people, to make new friends. And I had ruined everything for her. In the past, she was able to forgive me for shutting her out. But I wasn't so sure she would be as optimistic this time around. The more I thought about it, the more certain it seemed to be: Anna would never forgive me for this. After all, every person has a breaking point. No, if I wanted to end my own suffering, there was only one thing I could possibly do: I had to tell her about my powers. I would have to explain to her why I had shut her out for the past thirteen years, and maybe, just maybe, she would find it in her heart to forgive me. But could I really do it? If I were to show my sister the real me, would she still see me the same? Or would she think of me as a monster? I groaned; my hands trembled ever so slightly at the mere thought of losing Anna.
No, I thought, brushing aside my fears, I'll tell her tonight. She's ready to know the truth.
My thoughts were interrupted by Kai, who cleared his throat and looked at me with a concerned expression. "Your Majesty?" he asked in a soft tone, "Are you all right?"
Realizing how miserable I must have looked, I straightened my back and ran a hand through my hair, pushing my emotions into a deep corner of my heart. My anxieties concerned me and me alone; there was no need for them to get in the way of business. "Of course," I replied, though my appearance may have betrayed me.
Kai continued, "There are important dignitaries from various countries here at the party. Perhaps your Majesty would be so kind as to grant them an audience? It is your father's kingdom, after all. It is important to maintain relations with Arendelle's allies, too."
I cleared my throat and adjusted my dress. "Yes, yes, of course. You can send them over."
Kai bowed and walked away, disappearing into the crowd. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a second, suddenly remembering why this day was going to be such a challenge. Yes, the coronation itself was over, but I still had to converse with people from all over the world. Though Anna would have jumped at the chance, I wasn't quite as eager, for a variety of reasons. Nonetheless, I mustered up my courage and plastered a polite, if not uncertain, smile on my face. At the moment, I had a duty to fulfill as queen, and I would have to play it out perfectly.
As I waited for the dignitaries, my mother's training ran through my mind; specifically, how to manage foreign relations, both in trade and in alliances. She had taught me that I should procure as many allies for Arendelle as I could. And to do that, I had to be a master at persuading, negotiating, and even small talk, speaking with a mixture of force, eloquence, and a dash of proper humor. I took a deep breath. Here goes, I thought.
Kai stepped out of the crowd and approached me, introducing a rather tall man. "Your Majesty," the servant said, bowing, "the Baron of Versaille."
"Your Majesty," the Baron said, bowing. I curtsied politely in response. The Baron continued, "You may call me Jean, if you prefer."
"Pleased to meet you, Jean," I said. It was a nice name. And the man seemed polite enough, but his accent made it a bit hard to understand what he was saying. "How do you do?" I asked.
"Ah, very well, your Majesty, merci. Allow me to be the first to say congratulations on your coronation! You are very young for a queen, no?" Not knowing how to respond, I simply nodded and smiled. Jean continued, "And this is a very nice party. The food is exquisite!" He chuckled, and my stomach growled in response. Now that I thought about it, it had been quite a while since I had last eaten. "Anyway," Jean said, "I can see great things in the future of Arendelle and Versaille, your Majesty. King Agdar and I had been discussing a possible alliance for many years. Hopefully you will follow in your father's footsteps, yes? It would be such a shame if our respective kingdoms never become allies."
"Indeed, it would," I replied in a somewhat reserved tone, realizing I was still unused to talking to other people. Then I drew a blank. What else was I supposed to say? Suddenly, everything I had learned from Mama completely vanished from my mind. "Um...well, I look forward to doing business with you, Baron Jean," I said, ending the conversation on a somewhat awkward note. The man bowed and left to talk with the other guests. Well, I thought, that went well...I guess.
Before I could dwell too much on what I did wrong, another man approached me. Unlike Jean, he was a bit plump, with round glasses and a thick moustache. He bowed in front of me, and I curtsied in response.
"Ah, if it isn't little Princess Elsa, now a queen!" the man said with a slight slur, laughing cheerfully. I stared at him, shocked at his rather informal tone of voice. He must have seen the confusion on my face, because he continued, "Oh, you don't remember me, do you? Well, I honestly wouldn't blame you. The last time I saw you, you were but a wee little baby!" He chuckled, and I smiled politely. "But oh, where are my manners? Terribly sorry, your Majesty. My name is Reginald. I am the Prime Minister of Lancaster."
I nodded courteously. "Pleased to meet you, Reginald." I quickly searched my brain for a topic to converse about. Finding nothing, I decided to stick to small talk. "So, um...you said you saw me a long time ago, when I was a baby. Did you know my parents?"
A warm smile made its way onto Reginald's pudgy, red face. "Ah, yes. King Agdar and Queen Idun were very close friends of mine. They were very good people. Oh, now here's something you probably didn't know: a long time ago, they were the happiest, most carefree couple I had ever met! Your father in particular had a knack for getting himself into trouble. Surprising?"
"Yes, indeed," I replied, genuinely shocked. I tried visualizing Papa playing pranks, having parties, and getting into all sorts of mischief. But I couldn't seem to form the image in my head. Instead, I could only imagine the level-headed, kindhearted man who took his job, just like everything else in his life, with the utmost seriousness. What had caused him to change?
As if reading my thoughts, Reginald said, "But things became different when you were born. Your mother and father suddenly became the most reclusive people in the world. It was almost as if they were hiding something. And they were very protective of you, too. Idun wouldn't even let me hold you!"
Immediately, I felt a small pang of guilt. It was me. I had caused my parents to distance themselves from everyone. They only wanted to hide my powers from the world, but in doing so, they had to let go of their interpersonal relationships. How much of their lives had I ruined?
Reginald continued, "As time passed, we kept contact, but alas, we slowly drifted apart over the years." I found myself nodding in agreement; I, too, knew what it was like to slowly grow apart from a close friend. Reginald chuckled, a hint of sadness in his voice. "Ah, but here you are now. The little baby I met long ago has become Arendelle's queen. I know Agdar and Idun would be very proud if they could see you now." For a while, I thought I saw a glint of pride in his eyes, as if I were his own daughter just as much as my parents'. Touched by his words, I was just about to say "thank you" when he abruptly interrupted me.
"Well then!" he said loudly, the jolly grin making its way back to his face, "Onto more important matters. You know, it isn't often that a princess becomes queen without a...er, prior engagement, if you know what I mean." He chuckled heartily at his own words. I giggled politely in response, though I didn't quite know what he was talking about.
"So?" he continued after a brief pause, "who's it going to be?"
"Sorry?" I asked.
Reginald laughed, as if the answer should have been obvious. "Why, your consort, Queen Elsa! Who's it going to be? Arendelle needs a king, you know."
Immediately, I felt my face grow warmer. I did not feel comfortable talking about this! "I, uh..." I stammered, too flustered to think coherently, "I'm, uh...unattached at the moment." Hoping to drop the subject, I decided to change the topic. "So, um-"
"Well that's perfect!" said Reginald, clasping his hands as his face lit up with excitement. "In that case, then, you know who I think you'll love? My son, William! Yes, he's around your age, I think. You two will hit it off for sure! Who knows, he might even become Arendelle's next king. Oh, wouldn't that be delightful? I should convince him to visit Arendelle one of these days. You'll love him, I just know it! You two have so much in common. I look forward to introducing you!" He bounded away excitedly before I had a chance to say anything. I was left alone under the canopy, my face still hot.
Great, I thought, I've managed to make a fool out of myself in front of Versaille's baron, and Lancaster's prime minister expects me to marry his son. Evidently, I still had a lot to learn about being queen. Or just talking to people, for that matter. I sighed, frustrated and disappointed in myself. How was I supposed to rule Arendelle when I could barely hold up a conversation?
I was too busy mentally kicking myself to notice the young couple that had suddenly approached me. The woman, a petite brunette who appeared to be around my age, cleared her throat, and I was snapped back to attention. "Oh," I said, slightly flustered, "um, greetings."
The woman spoke first, her short hair bobbing up and down as she curtsied excitedly. "Hello," she said in a formal, yet charismatic tone, "My name is Rapunzel. Er, Princess Rapunzel." She gestured towards the man next to her. "And this is Eugene, my husband."
"How's it going, Queen Elsa?" the man asked, extending a hand towards me, "Eugene Fitzherbert. Nice to meet-" He was abruptly interrupted by Rapunzel, who had subtly delivered a swift elbow to his gut, while still smiling at me. Eugene nearly doubled over, holding his stomach in pain. "Ow! Really, Punzie?"
"Manners, Eugene!" Rapunzel whispered to her husband (though I could clearly hear her from where I was standing), "We're at a coronation. That's no way to address a queen!" I couldn't help but giggle at her remark. Rapunzel gave me an expression that contained a strange mixture of apology and reassurance, before renewing the smile on her face. For some reason, she looked vaguely familiar, though I was certain I had never seen her before.
"Anyway," the princess continued, "on behalf of Corona, Eugene and I would like to offer our congratulations to you!"
"Thank you," I said politely, then stopped cold. Corona? Wasn't that the place where my parents were heading when they died at sea? Yes, I remembered it clearly. Papa said that he and Mama were sailing there to attend the wedding of Corona's princess. As in, the one who was standing in front of me at that very moment. Though I tried as hard as I could to conceal my emotions, I couldn't help but give a slight gasp. I must have appeared absolutely horrified, because Rapunzel and Eugene looked at me as if I were having a heart attack.
"Are you okay, your Majesty?" Eugene asked.
"Y-you," I stammered before realizing what I was saying, "it...it was your wedding..."
Eugene bit his lip uneasily as Rapunzel cocked her head to the side. "Hmm? I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, your Majesty."
Eugene nudged his wife and whispered, "Psst. Remember? King, Queen, Arendelle..."
A flash of recognition manifested on Rapunzel's face, followed by guilt, then sympathy. "Oh," she whispered, more to herself than anyone, "Oh, I'm so, so, so sorry, your Majesty. If I had known there was going to be a huge storm, I-"
"No," I reassured her with a smile, though I was still shaking inside, "it's quite all right. Nothing is your fault. The past is in the past. And on behalf of my parents, as well as all of Arendelle, allow me to say congratulations on your marriage!"
Rapunzel's face lit up, her sadness quickly dying away. "Thank you!" she replied cheerfully, "Oh, you should have been there. There was a celebration that lasted for weeks, and the entire town was full of sunlight and music and..." As she spoke, I realized why she seemed so familiar to me: she reminded me of Anna. They were so alike, from physical appearance to personality. Even their voices were nearly identical.
"A little late on the congratulations there, buddy," Eugene mumbled to me, followed immediately by another elbow from Rapunzel. "Ow! Seriously, will you stop that?"
"Eugene!" Rapunzel chided her husband, "Really, sometimes I don't even..."
Eugene rolled his eyes, though he was still grinning. "Alright, alright." Then he turned back to me. "A little late on the congratulations there, your Majesty. That better, Punzie?"
Rapunzel groaned, though she was smiling from ear to ear, evidently amused by her husband's antics. "You really must excuse him," she said to me, "He's not quite used to formal events like this."
"Oh, come on," Eugene said flippantly as I quietly giggled in the background, "you're certainly one to talk, Miss Trapped-In-A-Tower."
"Well," I said to Eugene, "that makes two of us...buddy." The three of us laughed, and ended up chatting a while longer. Surprisingly, I didn't feel awkward or uneasy. For the first time in thirteen years, I was able to have a regular conversation with regular people. As the night carried on, it looked more and more like this day wouldn't turn out so bad after all.
Or at least, that's what I tried to tell myself.